Change of Plans Sample
by MickDunD
Summary: This is a snippet of an idea I had a while ago. A good friend helped me flush it out and I was able to produce a chapter. Let me know what you all think and if you want to see more. Enjoy!


Chapter X:

One Year Later

Takami sighed and ground the ashes of her sixth cigarette into her desk ashtray. Aside from her computer, it was the only thing on the desk. She had never spent much time in her home office after the ship was found years ago, Minaka demanding her to work either on-site or in MBI's private lab always ate up her time until her city office was her home and her house was only a building she owned. To be honest, she had never cared much about where she worked or lived. The Sekirei's wellbeing had taken precedence over everything else.

 _Even my kids,_ she sighed, idly flicking her lighter as she reclined in her chair, kicking her feet up on the wood, blowing out the last of the smoke from her lungs towards the ceiling fan. _Christ…how much of this could I have avoided if I had been a real mother to them?_

The last year had been…well, she didn't exactly know how it had been. Everyone had easily accepted that Minato had been in a horrible car accident. Even her mother and Yukari had believed it when Minato had been wheeled into the house with a catheter in his right lung and bandages all over his legs and arms. Her daughter had spent three weeks constantly at her brother's side, not a trace of her usual teasing personality visible in her behavior. It was almost like the clock had turned back to when they were still innocent little children. But it hurt her so much to see it. Yukari's grades had suffered a bit from her constant attention to Minato. She lost weight and was in a state of constant sleep deprivation. She was constantly failing exams as well and had skipped class a few times before it was brought to her attention. Thankfully, the principle and teachers seemed empathetic to Minato's situation and allowed her a few extra chances to make up the work.

She had taken over Minato's care after that. Her time in med school had prepared her enough on how to deal with a recovering patient and Minato had been easy enough to work with. But for all her experience, all her time in school, her professors could never have told her what it would be like seeing her own son lying on his bed with blood being drained from his lung through a tube and his limbs wrapped in casts. It hurt her more deeply than anything to see him like this…and she couldn't help but blame herself for putting him here.

 _And it's not like I can take him out of it now,_ she growled to herself, snatching another cigarette from the pack and lighting it with a practiced flick of her thumb.

Minato had gotten better enough for the catheter to be removed after two months. His ribs had healed enough by then for him to be able to sit up as well. He went back to school a week later, walking on crutches with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Each day he seemed to heal more and more, until the point where he walked in the front door on his own two feet and a goofy grin on his face. It was certainly an impressive recovery, one that would have left most doctors astounded. She knew better. Whatever Yume had done to him had certainly worked.

That was another thing. Nobody could come up with an explanation of what exactly had happened in Afghanistan. All scientific reasons and knowledge said that her son should have died on the helicopter out of there. Two days of intensive torture had exhausted him to the point of no return and that bullet should have killed him almost immediately. But whatever Yume had done had kept him alive for two hours until they could get him properly stabilized. Minaka himself had dropped his coffee mug on himself and ruined a brand new white suit when she'd told him about it. Even he was completely baffled by it. For a Sekirei to split her own Core like that should be impossible. By rights both Yume and Minato should be dead. But they weren't. Minato was alive…and Yume was now bonded to him as his Sekirei.

That little thought made her gnash her teeth on the butt of her smoke. Minato was never supposed to become involved in Minaka's insane plan. She had worked her ass off for two years doing her best to keep him and the Sekirei as far away from each other as possible. And now here he was, bonded to arguably one of the three strongest beings in existence. Yume may have saved his life in Afghanistan, and she was forever grateful to the Sekirei of Fate for doing so, but she had ended up dragging him into what would become a bloodbath. Her baby boy would be forced to see things and do things no one should have to endure. Besides, he'd been through so much already and would carry that scar on his chest for the rest of his life.

A sigh escaped her lips. There was nothing she could do now though. Minato was nineteen years old. He had graduated high school at the top of his class just this morning. Tomorrow he was going back to Tokyo to register for his university entrance exams. Her one year was up.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was Minato.

 _Going to be home late tonight,_ the message said. _Some friends and I are going to celebrate._

She couldn't help herself but smile at his carefree message. This is how it should have been. A regular student enjoying his last night at home with friends, not caring about anything else in the world besides having fun.

 **XXX**

Yukari Sahashi scowled from her position in the planters. Out of all places she could have picked to stake out, this was the absolute worst. Here she was stuck under a thorny bush with her clothes getting ripped, laying face-down in wet dirt, watching her wimpy brother go about ordering food in a burger restaurant. She pulled out her phone and opened the camera, using it to zoom in on his face. Minato had his usual calm look on his face, his hands in the pockets of his favorite blue jacket as he stared at the menu as a slight smile tugged at his lips. To an untrained eye, nothing would seem out of the ordinary. But she knew better.

Ever since that accident, Minato had been…low. Not a very precise description, she knew, but it was the only one that made sense. There was just no genuine enthusiasm in him anymore. From what she had learned it was common for people who had been through traumatic experiences and that it would go away in time; and Minato had been getting better! Once he could walk again, he did everything he could to avoid staying in his bed and his wheelchair. But no matter what he did, that spark of life just didn't reach his eyes. It was like some part of him had been left in the capital buried somewhere in that car crash.

But now? His blue eyes had their shine back. His movements were more precise, and he just seemed to have more energy around him in general. His smile was brighter as well, to the point that their mother had noticed this new change in him. But this wasn't something to be happy for. No. This wasn't a gradual recovery of his psyche. She had literally watched this happen right before her eyes. They had just walked out of the school after graduating when her brother had looked at his phone. After that it was like watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon.

 _It's not right!_ She growled, watching him place his order.

Her phone started ringing, causing a few people nearby to suddenly jump and stare at the ringing bush.

"Mom!" she hissed into the speaker.

 _"_ _I know what you're doing, Yukari,"_ Takami's no-nonsense tone buzzed across the speaker. _"Get out from under that hedge before you ruin your clothes."_

"W-what do you mean?" she stammered. "I'm not under a hedge, mom!"

 _"_ _Look to your right."_

Wincing, the turned and looked across the parking lot where her mother's BMW was idling. Her mother gave her a lazy wave from the driver's seat before ending the call. Sighing in defeat, she dragged herself out from under the hedge and walked with as much dignity as she could muster across the parking lot, doing as much as she could to dislodge the leaves and dirt from her hair and stomach. She opened the passenger's side and sat down silently, awaiting heaven's judgement.

"Yukari, out of all the attempts to spy on your brother, this was probably the most enjoyable to watch," her mother sighed as she put the car in reverse and backed out of the lot. "But honestly, what were you thinking just then?"

"But mom, something is wrong with him!" she protested.

"What? Is he not allowed to be happy?" Takami snapped.

"N-no, but-"

"But nothing," her mother said, driving through town towards the residential area. "Minato has been through a lot in the past year. He's been aching to head back to the city and get to college. Why wouldn't his mood get better now that he's able to do that?"

"But he got a-"

"Yukari," Takami looked over at her, her expression leaving no room for compromise. "You are going to drop it. Leave your brother alone. Now I am going to take you home so you can get out of those filthy clothes. Then I am going to drive you to your friend Haruka's house. Her older sister is having a graduation party and her mother has invited you. You will stay there for the night, understand?"

"…yes mom," she sighed, looking out the window. _But I'll find out what's going on with Minato on my own!_

 **XXX**

Minato Sahashi could barely contain himself.

It had started this morning. Just a tickle in his mind and a feeling of nostalgia as he moved about the house. He just shrugged it off as pre-graduation nervousness: how he wouldn't be seeing these walls again for years now. As the day passed by, the feeling got stronger. What had been a slight tickle had become a sensation he couldn't ignore. A warmth had blossomed in the back of his mind, like a feeling of a roaring fire in the middle of winter. It had freaked the hell out of him all throughout the graduation ceremony, rubbing the back of his head and trying to work the pins and needles out of his hands and fingertips. He'd almost fallen over as he'd accepted the diploma, as a sheer wave of warmth crashed into him like a tidal wave and almost made him look like an idiot in front of all his friends. He'd never experienced anything like this. None of the medicine he'd taken during his recovery had given him side effects and he wasn't feeling ill. He had just about to tell his mother about it when his phone rang.

It was a text message. From an unknown number. And that had unnerved him. His mother had gone about getting him a new cell phone after the incident. The device was built by MBI's security force for the company executives. Its shape mimicked an iPhone, but according to his mother it held the most advanced anti-spying software in the world, personally designed and coded by Sekirei 02 herself before she left the company. His phone was impossible to hack, trace, or copy without access to MBI's secure network. The only way for people to call him was for him to already have their number or be a part of the MBI system. His only contacts were his mother, Yukari, and a few school friends and aside from his mother he wasn't close to anyone at the company. So, for an unknown number to call him…

The message was brief. No more than a few words.

 _"_ _Meet me at that place you told me about."_

 _-Y._

It had taken him a few moments before it dawned on him. But then it all made sense and he had felt himself smile in a way he hadn't since he was able to walk on his own two feet again. Right away, he'd made excuses to his mother, saying he was going to get something to eat with Yasaka. He'd left on his own, running a few minutes into town to the local fast food joint and ordered his monthly allowance in jumbo hamburgers and French fries.

He walked out of the restaurant with a colossal bag full of junk food in his arms and immediately started back towards his house. As he walked he felt the sensation get more intense. He had a feeling of what it was based on what he'd learned two years ago at MBI from his conversations with Kazehana. And from what his mother had said when he was healthy enough to hear what had happened to him, he had a feeling she was right. As he walked up his street he saw his mother's car in the driveway and the light on in her study. She was probably working or on the phone. Yukari was probably hanging out with her friends. Meaning there was nobody around to see him.

He quickly ran across the backyard and pushed his way through the thick bushes at the back of the property. His mother had them planted after that time Yukari and he had gotten lost in the woods at night when they were little, trying to hide the path that led back to the old trail. But he still remembered where the dirt path began. As he shoved his way through the hedges, he felt that sensation in his mind begin to hum. He grinned and allowed his body to move as if it were on autopilot, ducking under branches and jumping over rocks in his way until he emerged onto the path before him. He broke into a full sprint, the bag of food bouncing around in his grip as he charged deeper and deeper into the woods. After maybe three minutes of nonstop running, he heard the gentle sound of running water. With a final burst of speed, he rounded the bend in the path and skidded to a stop on the edge of the clearing.

And there she was.

"…Yume," he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

The Sekirei of Fate smiled back at him, the corners of her eyes glistening. She hadn't changed at all in the past year. She wore her uniform, minus that olive drab cloak and her weighted gloves. Her brown hair was in its usual position, with that trademarked sole stand hanging over her face.

"Minato," she said, her voice barely a whisper on the wind between them.

Without a word he dropped the bag and ran towards her. She did the same, easily outpacing him and crossing the distance between them in less than a second. He threw his arms around her, feeling her own embrace tighten around him in turn. The warmth in the back of his mind exploded like a supernova. He went weak in the knees, falling against the Sekirei of Fate as the two of them collapsed into a kneeling position. He pulled away from her and looked her right in the eyes.

"I missed you," she sniffed, wiping away a stray tear of happiness.

"I missed you too," he whispered, holding onto her shoulders.

He leaned forwards, pressing his forehead against hers as he cupped her cheek with his right hand. It had been the last time he had touched her following what had happened in Afghanistan. Yume smiled and leaned into his touch, her breath ghosting across his chin as they knelt in the grass. They stayed like that for a few moments, relishing the warmth of each other's bodies and the warmth of their souls across their bond. Finally, they pulled away and looked at each other.

"You grew," Yume said, her smile still not diminished.

"I guess so," he grinned. "But you haven't changed a bit."

He got to his feet and picked up the dropped bag of hamburgers. "I brought us some food," he said, rummaging around in the bag for a triple decker cheeseburger with bacon.

"Minato, you didn't have to bring-"

"I know I didn't have to," he said, handing her the burger. "But I didn't have a chance to eat lunch today…and I figured that since we're here…we could have a picnic."

Yume beamed at him. "You remembered…"

"Of course, I did!" he smiled, grabbing her free hand and holding it. "I remember everything you told me back then."

He pulled her towards the big flat rock at the center of the clearing and spread the food out across the surface of the slab. He could see Yume was eyeing the pile of burgers as he took his own and unwrapped it. As soon as he had taken his first bite, she dove into the meal with the same ferocity the rest of her race had when it came to food.

"So good~!" she hummed, her mouth full of beef and cheese.

He laughed and continued eating his own meal, silently enjoying the company until he finished.

"How have you been?" he asked, wiping his fingers clean.

"I've been good," she smiled, popping a French fry into her mouth. "The director has been keeping me busy."

"Oh? What does he have you do?"

"Just some security work," she smiled, waving off his concerns. "With the Plan starting soon, a lot more equipment has been delivered. The director wants to make sure nothing goes missing."

"I see," he nodded, shifting so he was sitting right beside her.

They chatted a bit more while Yume finished her food, asking each other questions about what else they had done over the last year. They deliberately avoid the issue of his recovery, seeing as that was something neither of them wanted to think about. He told her stories of his time in school and the stupid stuff he and his friends had done, and she replied with tales of how every new intern MBI had hired to replace him had in some way managed to earn Karasuba's ire and had quit within three days of having to deal with the Black Sekirei.

"So…are you coming back to the city?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm going to take my entrance exam in a few days and stay down there until classes start up. Mom even arranged for me to stay in the old apartment while I'm there."

"That's great!" Yume exclaimed, jumping to her knees and facing him. "We can see each other every day!"

"Uh…about that," he said, a sheepishly rubbing his head. "I was, uh, thinking. Why don't…why don't you come live with me?"

"…eh?"

"I mean I heard from Kazehana last year," he said quickly. "She told me a lot about how an Ashikabi is supposed to act…and, um, one of the things she said is that an Ashikabi should always be by their Sekirei's side no matter what. So…I figured it would make sense for you to come live with me."

"Minato…" Yume crawled forwards, her face just a few inches from his own. "I'd…I'd love to live with you. But the director will probably want me to stay in the tower."

"I…I don't care what he thinks!" he blurted out, startling Yume. "I've waited an entire year to be with you again and I…I won't let Minaka stand in the way of that."

He grabbed both her hands and looked her straight in the eye. "Please…," he said. "Please stay with me."

Yume's face flushed a bright pink at his words. After a moment of thought, she pulled her hands from his grip and cupped his cheeks.

"I'd…I'd love to," she breathed, leaning in close to him.

Their lips touched and again he felt that flare of warmth through their bond raging against the back of his mind. He watched as she pulled back from that brief kiss, her eyes shut as eight wings erupted from her back, illuminating the clearing with bright pink light. Her eyes opened again as she looked at him, a sensation…no a suggestion slipping through their bond to him. He smiled and grabbed her sides, pulling her into his lap and kissing her deeply. Again, that supernova blossomed inside him as her fingers tangled in his hair. Her tongue pushed into his mouth and grappled with his as she pushed herself against him. He could feel all the frustration in her just melt away. It seems he hadn't been the only one who had been fed up with waiting a year.

They sat there in each other's arms for god knows how long. The sun set by the time they were done kissing and even then, they were content to lay on the stone cuddling. He felt…complete now. Stronger. More stable. Holding Yume in his arms again was like a drink of cold water after spending an eternity wandering through a desert. He sighed and just looked up at the evening sky, drawing the Sekirei of Fate closer against his chest.

"Minato?" Yume spoke up, rolling on her side to look at his face.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Whatever happens now," she said, looking him right in the eyes. "I swear…I'll protect you."

He blinked, but then smiled and took her hand in his. "I'll do my best as well," he said. "Now and forever, right?"

She nodded eagerly. "Now and forever, my Ashikabi."

 **So this is a snapshot of an idea I had a while ago but never got around to properly starting. THIS IS NOT CHAPTER ONE I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT CHAPTER ONE. If anything this is closer to chapter seven or eight.**

 **So yeah, if you guys would like to see more of this idea, then let me know. If this gets enough support I may take this chapter down and put up the real chapter one.**

 **Happy New Year to all you wonderful people. God bless.**


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